Tight security all around and long queues of voters marked Bangladesh’s thirteenth national parliamentary election on Thursday. Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus greeted people with “Eid Mubarak,” suggesting a festive atmosphere after casting his vote on Thursday. Yet at a polling booth in Jhalakathi, there was a visible note of grief.
At the Government Nalchiti Merchants Secondary School booth, Masuma Hadi stood holding a placard with her brother's photograph that read, “I demand justice for my brother’s killers.” She had come to cast her vote and raised her demand seeking justice for her brother's murder, Sharif Osman Hadi.
She said that whichever party or alliance forms the government, her brother’s killers must be punished. She added that in a democratic state, voting is a responsibility, just as protesting against injustice is a constitutional right.
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Sister Demands Justice During Bangladesh Election
At the entrance to the booth, Masuma told the media that the election is being held at the cost of bloodshed, in which 1,700 people were martyred and more than three thousand were blinded. She said her brother had been murdered after the July revolution.
She said that whichever party or alliance forms the government, her brother’s killers must be punished. She added that in a democratic state, voting is a responsibility, just as protesting against injustice is a constitutional right.
Although her protest drew attention at the polling centre, it did not lead to any unrest.
What Happened to Sharif Osman Hadi?
Sharif Osman Hadi, convener of Inqilab Mancha, was described as one of the front-line activists of the "July Movement," a student-led movement that took place in Bangladesh in July-August 2024. On December 12, 2025, around noon, masked attackers on motorcycles shot him in the head on Box Culvert Road in Dhaka’s Purana Paltan area.
He was first treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later taken to Singapore General Hospital. He died on the night of December 18. Following his death, anti-India protests resurfaced in parts of Bangladesh.
After Hadi’s death, a case was registered at Tejgaon police station in Dhaka. Following the investigation, Bangladesh Police stated that the murder may have been carried out as an act of political revenge, alleging that Awami League workers and supporters had been angered by his statements. A chargesheet was filed against 17 people.
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According to Bangladesh Police, the alleged mastermind of the conspiracy was former Awami League councillor Taijul Islam Chowdhury, also known as Bappi. The other accused were described as leaders and workers of the Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League. Police have claimed that the accused fled to India, a claim India has rejected.
Several months after the incident, Hadi’s family continues to question why the main accused remains beyond reach. In the backdrop of the election, Masuma Hadi’s protest highlighted their demand for justice.
